


Pandemic

by MischiefsLady



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Darcy Lewis, F/M, Outbreak AU, SHIELD, Slow Burn, mercenary loki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-05-13 01:28:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5689336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MischiefsLady/pseuds/MischiefsLady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A deadly new virus is found in Africa.  Darcy Lewis is called upon to assist her boss and others in the race for the cure before all humankind is wiped out.  Mercenary Loki Odinson has little time for flirtatious research assistants, not when he's meant to be chasing Thanos, commander of the rebel army that once tried to kill him.  But Darcy draws him in, like a moth to a flame.  When he learns that Thanos created the virus and will stop at nothing to see it unleashed on the world, Loki will have to make a choice between keeping Darcy safe, or giving in the revenge that up to now has been fueling his every waking moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> So this is what happens when you try to focus too hard on writing one thing, and the muse stubbornly pushes you to write something else. This new story (which will be updated slowly as I do have other stories to finish as well) is based off of the movie Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman and Renee Russo. I love this movie and watched it again some time ago with the thought of what if Loki and Darcy were somehow involved? And so here we are, with an AU story called Pandemic. 
> 
> I do promise that all of my stories will be updated in the coming weeks, because I hate leaving things undone. Hope you all enjoy, and I look forward as always to your comments and reviews! Thank you all!!

Pandemic

 

**Somewhere in the middle of the Kenyan savannah**

 

“Cap? Steve? You’re breaking up. Repeat what you said.” Steve ‘Cap’ Rogers looked down at the satellite phone in his hands. Technology, he thought with disgust before trying once again to explain what he was seeing to his boss, Nick Fury.

This was the third remote village he was visiting in Africa. Mudbrick homes lay abandoned in the dry heat. Domesticated animals roamed the streets in each location. No sign of human life could be found and there were no answers as to where the villagers might have gone. Steve, who didn’t rattle easily, was a little creeped out with how life in these places seemed to have just stopped.

“It’s abandoned. Just like the other two.” The radio cackled again as Steve stepped into a long building probably used for gatherings. Fury’s voice cut out and Steve disconnected the call. There would be time later to find better reception, he thought as he took in room before him.

The main area held half a dozen tables, some chairs and a chalkboard on one end. Proof that despite the remoteness of this village, education was still important. A tiny stack of books sat in one corner near a doorway that led into another room. The silence seemed to overwhelm the place as he made his way across the room. 

Drawing his handgun from the holster at his hip, Steve gently nudged the door open and was immediately struck by the stench of death and decay. He winced, fighting back the urge to vomit and used his free hand to cover his mouth and nose. No more than half a dozen bodies littered the floor, blood that had oozed from their bodies now mixed with the dirt beneath them. Sores lay open on every available surface of skin and by the looks of them, these people had not been dead long.

Turning he made his way back outside and headed to the Jeep Wrangler that held his gear. He reached once more for the sat phone and prayed to God that the call went through with no problem. This time it did.

“Tell me you have something,” demanded Fury.

“Six bodies. All appear to have bled out during their bout with whatever the hell this is we’re dealing with.”

“I’ll have Stark pull together a team, expect to have one there as soon as possible.” Fury verified Steve’s location once more and was ready to sign off when Steve interrupted him.

“Boss, make sure Stark gets the best of the best. I have a bad feeling about this one.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Stark Tower sat in the middle of Manhattan and dominated the skyline. Most thought of it as an extension of one man’s arrogance and wealth. What they didn’t realize was the philanthropic genius who seemed flippant and spoiled sent most of his time working towards the betterment of the world. 

Tony Stark hung up the phone in his office and turned to his CEO and significant other, Pepper Potts. His heart tripped up as it always did when he looked at the tall, beautiful redhead. He didn’t deserve her, had almost lost her once but they’d since saved each other and now they contrived together to do what they could to help others.

“That was Fury,” he said and Pepper sat a little straighter in her chair, her expensive white suit barely wrinkled from the already long work day.

“SHIELD? What does he need?” Pepper frowned. SHIELD never called unless it was something big, and she was worried about what he wanted from Tony now.

“He needs a team to go to Kenya. Apparently people have disappeared from their villages and there have been reports of disease. Something worse than anything they’ve seen over there.” Tony seemed pensive as he leaned back in the leather executive chair. The giant glass windows behind him, usually full of panoramic city views, were dark with only the reflection from the lights within the office appearing on them.

“Pep, he said Cap has a bad feeling about this one.” 

“The last time Cap said that, your life ended up being put on the line.” Pepper hated SHIELD with a passion. Tony wasn’t fond of them either but understood the symbiotic relationship between Stark Industries and SHIELD. Each had resources the other needed to tap into on occasion. There was no severing the connection between them.

He stood up and walked around the desk and came to sit in the chair next to Pepper. Taking up her hand in his, he gave her a steady look. 

“I know you hate it, but if what Fury says is true and there’s a new disease out there then we need to find it and stop it. In the wrong hands, well I don’t even want to speculate on that.” 

“You’ve already decided to be a part of that team, then.” It was a statement not a question. Pepper knew him well, whenever a new problem appeared Tony needed to be at the forefront, learning all he could about it and searching for solutions down every avenue available to him.

He gave her the puppy eyes and she laughed, leaning forward to kiss him gently on the lips. “Alright. I gather you’ll want Banner and Foster. Anyone else?”

“Keep Rhodey and Sam on standby,” he said rising and grabbing a few files of his desk. “Cap already has Odinson and Barnes with him. Foster will want to bring Lewis. Find out what equipment they’ll need and tell them we leave as soon as they can get to the airport.”

Pepper nodded, standing as well. “Tony,” she began and he turned back to her. “Come home to me.”

“I always do,” he replied, coming to kiss her once more. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Dr. Jane Foster watched with some amusement as her assistant, Darcy Lewis struggled to do up the latches of her over-packed suitcase. They were currently in the living room of the brownstone they shared in Brooklyn, having just received the call from Stark about the situation in Kenya. 

“Darce, do you really need all that?” She asked indicating her friend’s travel sized make-up case, black heels, and little black dress that were partially hanging out.

“Grandma Nadine always said a lady needed to be prepared for anything,” she huffed out, stuffing the articles of clothing back into suitcase. “And whether it’s up the block or across the world, Lewis girls are always prepared. Here, come sit on this for me?”

Jane smiled fondly at the younger woman and made her way over to the couch to climb up on the suitcase. “Well, we’ll probably be staying in tents, no running water, no showers, just sponge baths and canned food. I highly doubt that little black dress is going to be of any use.”

“Another thing Grandma Nadine used to say is that life is an adventure, so make the most of it.” Darcy locked the suitcase and with a triumphant grin looked up at Jane. “And boss lady, Africa for any reason is an adventure and I’m going to make the most of it.” 

Jane laughed lightly. “So long as you don’t forget we’re there to actually study an unknown disease.”

Darcy worked for Jane as a research assistant for the last three years learning much from the pathologist and gaining opportunities she never would have gotten anywhere else. It was just sheer dumb luck that her application was the one Jane randomly pulled from a pile. 

“Speaking of, are we stopping at the lab to pack stuff up there too?” Darcy hefted up her suitcase and brought it to rest near the front door. Jane, whose suitcase was the kind on wheels, rolled hers over as well.

“No. Stark wants us at the airport immediately. I gave him a list of what was needed and he promised to have it all there when we arrive.” Jane reached for her purse on the hall table and checked to make sure her identification, credit cards and cash were exactly where she left them. 

“Cool. Did he happen to mention who else was on this expedition?” Darcy hoped Thor Odinson would be there. Not for her own sake, but for Jane’s. Last time they were all together Thor and Jane were practically inseparable, finding any number of topics to talk about. Darcy swore a first date was going to happen, but then Thor got called off on some sort of mission. That was months ago, and Jane heard nothing from him since.

Jane gave her a pointed glare. “If Thor is there, Darce, just leave it alone, okay?” Darcy nodded but slid her hand behind her back to cross her fingers. She’d help Jane find her happiness no matter what.

Both women peered out the window as black limousine pulled up to the curb, its headlights lightening some of the darkness. The familiar face of Happy, Stark’s driver, appeared when he got out of the car. Jane opened the door to greet him and Happy grabbed their suitcases, indicating the women should follow him to the waiting car. Jane followed first while Darcy locked the door behind them

A feeling of excitement mixed with nerves and a dash of something like unavoidable fate settled into Darcy’s stomach, making her shiver slightly. She brushed it off though, and climbed into the car ready for whatever Africa might have in store for her.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the delay in posting updates on all my stories. I am working on them whenever I get a moment, but real life gets super busy. Winter months are coming though so hopefully life will slow down a bit and I get some more writing time! Thanks as always for sticking with me, despite the long breaks between updates!! Your patience, kudos and comments are what keep me going! <3

Pandemic  
Chapter 2

 

 

Darcy watched Tony banter with the hella fine specimen of man who had met them when they landed at a small out of the way airport. Ripped muscles and long dark hair, and a bitchin’ tattoo sleeve down his left arm. Mmhmm, if Mr. Eye Candy was their escort here, she was certainly going to enjoy the view.

“Darcy!” Jane’s urgent whisper brought her out of her thoughts and right into the hot African sun. “Where is the sunblock? And where are the hats?”

“In my backpack,” she replied, before sliding it off her shoulder and squatting down to rummage around in it. Both women changed into cargo shorts and tank-tops on the plane before disembarking, but it didn’t make either of them feel any cooler.

Darcy handed up the sunblock to Jane who immediately began applying it to her face and body. “How long is Tony going to argue with that man? I’d like to get moving, whatever disease is out there, we need to get on it. Now.”

Darcy handed one baseball cap to Jane and placed the other on her own head before standing and applying her own sunblock.

“I think he’s just doing it to needle the guy on purpose. Seems like he’s starting to wind down.” She glanced over towards the jeep where Tony and the man he’d introduced as Bucky were tossing casual insults. “Hey you two want to finish up, we’ve got a world to save,” she called over to them.

She grinned when Bucky gave her a slow smile and a wink. “If you’re saving the world then I am surely a dying man in need of help.” 

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes as he made his way to the passenger’s side of the Jeep. “Fine, Bucky can drive, but I call shotgun. And no needless flirting.”

“Grandma Nadine says there is no such thing as needless flirting. All flirting is entirely necessary.” Darcy tossed the bottles of sunblock back into her backpack, zipped it up and slung it over her shoulder as Bucky made his way over to the women.

“Your Grandma Nadine sounds like a woman after my own heart,” Bucky laughed as he reached for the handle of Darcy’s suitcase. Though he lifted it with ease he still turned a raised eyebrow to the young woman it belonged to.

“Jesus, doll, did you pack everything you own?” He hefted the suitcase into the back of the Jeep as Jane tossed her own smaller suitcase next to Darcy’s. 

Jane smiled up at Bucky. “Don’t even get her started on that. Apparently Grandma Nadine has rules about packing for trips as well.”

“So noted, Dr. Foster. And it’s a pleasure to meet you, by the way. Dr. Banner speaks very highly of you.” Bucky closed the back of the Jeep and moved to open a back door so the women could climb in.

“Please, call me Jane,” she replied as she climbed in. “Will Dr. Banner be joining us as well?”

“He’s currently in India, I’ve got a plane waiting for him as soon as he’s ready to go. I’m ready to go, if anyone cares.” Tony replied from the front seat.

Darcy climbed in next, reaching over the front to ruffle Tony’s hair as she slid across the seat. She was the only one who could get away with touching his hair as theirs was a relationship built on mutual sarcasm and awesome taste in music. “Aw, we care Tony!” she laughed. “Who else is joining our team?”

Tony swatted her hand away. “Not the hair,” he grumbled good naturedly before answering her question. “Steve and Thor are meeting us at the first village,” Tony said as Bucky shut the door and made his way around to climb into the driver’s seat.

Darcy raised an eyebrow in Jane’s direction at the mention of Thor but Jane was studiously ignoring her.

“What about the lab supplies you said you ordered? And has anyone been able to get any blood samples, tissue samples?” The pathologist pulled a small notebook out of her own backpack and grabbed a pen too. 

“I’ve ordered a makeshift lab be set up near the village. It should be ready when we get there. No blood and tissue samples, we’ll have to try to collect some. There are no survivors in the village we’ll be at, but the disease is spreading, I have no doubt we will be able to get samples to study.”

“Thanks. How long until we get there?” 

Bucky answered as he cranked the air conditioner and put the Jeep in drive. “We’ll be there in an hour or so. I radioed in when you landed, Thor is also setting up the tents as well.”

“Tents?” Darcy, who’d been staring out the window trying to take in the amazing scenery, focused on the conversation around her.

“What’s the matter, doll? Don’t like to camp out?” He glanced into the rearview mirror, watching Dr. Foster’s flirty assistant frown slightly.

“It’s not my favorite arrangement, but I won’t complain…too much.” 

“Won’t be time for complaining,” Jane interrupted. “Darcy, you’ll be in charge of lab set up when we get there.”

“You got it, boss.” Darcy sat back and reached into her pocket for her iPod, plugging the earbuds into her ears. She pulled up her favorite playlist, tuned out the people around her, and let her mind drift as the sights of Africa flew by.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Thor wiped the sweat from his brow and drank deeply from the bottle of water in his hand. He and Steve had finished setting up the base camp for Stark’s team who were due to arrive any moment. Currently he was walking the perimeter, around the sleeping tents, and the makeshift lab when an approaching Humvee caught his eye, causing him to frown.

It wasn’t the Jeep Bucky had left to pick up Tony and his team in.

“Captain!” he called and Steve, who’d been putting the last few boxes of supplies inside the lab tent, came out to meet him.

Both men rested one hand on the butt of the guns holstered at their waists as the Humvee slowed to a stop in front of them. Two men and one woman all dressed in varying styles of cargo pants and t-shirts stepped down from the vehicle. 

The driver was tall, lean, with a mane of dark hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Thor relaxed his stance when he recognized him. 

“Loki.” The man in question turned and grimaced slightly.

“You know him?” Steve asked, not relaxing his stance as he eyed the newcomers.

“Yes,” he replied as Loki approached. “Steve, this is my brother, Loki. Loki, this is Steve Rogers.” The two men shook hands and Loki motioned to the man and woman behind him.

“This is Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov. They are…associates of mine.” Once all the introductions were made, Loki wasted no time getting down to business.

“What are you doing here?” 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Thor was not going to give up any answers without getting any himself. He stared at Loki who glared back. They didn’t have time for this. Bucky would be back soon with Stark and company. 

“From the looks of the inside of the big tent, I’d say they’re definitely here for research,” Natasha chimed in.

“Possibly expecting more people, too. That’s a lot of equipment,” Clint added.

Steve still had not spoken and Thor knew Loki barely trusted him, let alone someone he did not know. He sighed. “Loki, a word, please? Alone.”

The two men walked to the edges of the encampment before turning to one another. “Why are you here, Loki? It cannot be coincidence that you’ve been gone for two years and the first place I run into you is here.”

Loki crossed his arms over his chest. The last time he and Thor were in the same place, they’d been at each other’s throats. Sigyn, Loki’s ex-fiance had come crying to Thor with some half-baked story about Loki abandoning her while she was pregnant with his child. Thor, always one with a soft spot for the ladies, bought the story hook, line and sinker. Indeed, he’d believed so much in Sigyn’s tears that he convinced their father to let Sigyn stay at the house. Even his own mother seemed to side with his devious ex.

At the time Loki had been honorably discharged from the army and about to open his own private security firm. Thor , too had been honorably discharged from the military, and seeking his own path in life. An ass kicking from Thor, a cold lecture from his father and a disappointed mother sent him halfway across the globe to take advantage of an offer from an old friend. His last words to Thor were to let him know when the baby arrived, then he’d come home. Six months later there’d been an apologetic note waiting for him in Kabul. No baby and Sigyn had run off with some guy. 

Loki was unsurprised and just as unforgiving at the way his family had turned on him.

Ignoring Thor’s question, he asked one of his own. “How is mother?”

Thor practically growled in response. “Two years, Loki! And not a word! If you want to know how mother is, perhaps you should go see her yourself.”

“Perhaps it would not have been two years had someone minded his own damn business to begin with,” Loki hissed back.

“Don’t put your leaving on me. I merely sought to help a woman in need.” 

Loki sneered at him. “Truly, brother? A woman in need? I told you the type of woman Sigyn was when I ended the relationship and still you chose her word over mine. And then turned our parents against me as well.”

Thor’s shoulders slumped in defeat, Loki was not wrong. “I don’t want to fight you, Loki. I am sorry for all of it and you’d know that if you bothered to return any of the messages I sent to you. But right now we have other issues to deal with.”

Loki nodded, pushing down the bitterness. He and his team needed to search the nearby village for clues to find their target, there really was no time to argue over past history with Thor. 

“Go home, Thor. There is nothing for you here except death.” 

“That’s what Stark and his team are coming to research. Look, let’s put all our cards on the table, because we aren’t leaving and I gather from your expression that you aren’t leaving either.” Again, Loki nodded. “This disease that’s come about, Stark is bring in pathologist Dr. Jane Foster and her assistant. We aim to find a cause and a hopefully a cure.”

“My associates and I are also looking for the cause.” Loki’s response was short and offered little in the way of information. Thor huffed in frustration. 

“What is the reason you seek the cause, Loki?”

“To end it.” The set of his jaw told Thor more than anything Loki said at this point. It was personal. He’d have to get the story out of Loki later. Right now Steve and Clint and Natasha seemed to come to some sort of agreement about sharing information as well as Steve was showing the other two inside the lab tent.

“Fine.” The two made to join the rest of the group but Loki placed a hand on Thor’s arm halting their steps.

“A word of caution, brother. Be alert. The _cause_ of this new disease is more dangerous than you know.” Loki walked off to join the others leaving Thor far more confused and unsettled than before.


	3. Chapter 3

Pandemic   
Chapter 3

 

Tension filled the campsite. And Darcy hated tension. Grandma Nadine used to say tension was pointless. If everyone just said what needed saying, then a solution could be found much quicker. Darcy tended to agree, but judging by all the alpha male types she was surrounded by, now was not a good time to begin that discussion.

She sighed as she moved around inside the lab tent, making sure the centrifuge and other sensitive equipment were arranged as best as possible. Off to the side of the tent a Stark Generator hummed quietly. It was the latest model and one that could run for a few months without the battery needing to be charged or changed. Once he went public with it, it could change the lives of natural disaster victims who need electricity to survive.

She turned toward the entrance of the tent when the flap was pushed open and Jane came in followed by Stark, Thor, Rogers and Barnes and the other team that was here when they arrived. She still didn’t understand why they were here, but the tall, lean man with dark hair and piercing green eyes unsettled her in a way she couldn’t explain.

Bucky came to stand beside her, picking up a random device from the table and fiddling with it while a discussion took place around him. 

“Do you know how to use that?” Darcy whispered. 

“No,” he whispered back, eyes alight with humor.

“Then put it down,” she returned, taking it from him and trying not to laugh at his pouting little boy expression. Darcy tuned in to the tone of Jane’s voice. She was all business now and Darcy wondered what she missed while setting up the lab tent.

“Look I appreciate your concern,” Jane said, “but you brought me in to find out what this disease is, what it’s capable of and how to eradicate it. Let me do that.”

“All due respect, Dr. Foster, but this mission of Stark’s is more dangerous than was previously thought.” Natasha, the redhead who slightly intimidated Darcy spoke. It wasn’t her appearance but the way she carried herself that seemed predatory and though she admired strong women, Darcy thought there was more to Natasha than met the eye.

“I agree,” Thor quietly stated. “If my brother and his colleagues are involved then this is more than just a possible new virus. It may mean the presence of a darker evil. It isn’t safe here.”

Darcy glanced at Loki Odinson who stood near the entranceway and took in the group around him as they argued about who was staying and who was going. She let her gaze travel down over his form, noting the fitted black t-shirt showed off his defined abs. Unconsciously she licked her lips as her eyes dipped lower, idly wondering about the size of certain packages. 

She took a last look at his face and flushed deeply when she realized he was staring right at her. The frosty smirk of his mouth let her know her attentions were unwanted and unappreciated.

“Darcy? Yo, Darcy?” Bucky snapped his fingers in front of her face and she jumped. 

“Oh god, sorry. My mind wandered. Totally spaced out for a second there. Wow, it’s hot in Africa, isn’t?” Oh no, she was babbling. And she couldn’t stop. And _he_ was still staring at her. 

“Yet another reason Dr. Foster, Ms. Lewis and the rest of your team need not be here. The heat can melt anyone’s brain cells.” Loki spoke with a hint of disdain and Darcy bristled at it.

“Grandma Nadine used to say that if you want a job done right then you ought to do it right the first time. Do any of you have the intelligence needed to study what kind of virus is going on here? Do any of you know precisely what to do with each piece of machinery in this tent?”

“Actually…” Stark began but didn’t get to finish.

“Not now, Tony. My point is, we all have something to contribute here and the work would go a lot quicker and a lot more efficiently if we all managed to work together. Jane and I are not leaving.” Her glance took in Loki, Steve and Thor. “People are dying and we need to find out why. So, can we please leave all the bullshit aside and do what we came here for?”

For a moment, no one spoke.

“Fine,” agreed Steve, “We’re all here and there’s enough of us to have security, research and reconnaissance covered. Everyone else agree?”

Most of the group murmured their assent. Thor turned to Loki. “Brother, will you work with us?”

Loki wanted to say no, just to be contrary. But upon further reflection Thor and his mates could certainly help bring down the true madness behind this virus. It would mean trust where previously the trust had been broken, but perhaps…just perhaps Loki could deal with it this once.

Slowly he held out is hand for Thor to shake. “I will agree to this, so long as Dr. Foster and Ms. Lewis leave when I say.” Darcy opened her mouth to argue but Loki spoke over her. “That is my only condition.” 

“Jane?” Thor asked, wanting her agreement on this as well. Jane nodded, understanding that there was more going on than she knew. 

Darcy huffed but Jane motioned to her that they would talk later.

Once terms were agreed on everyone filed out of the tent. Loki was last to leave, his eyes pinning Darcy to the spot before he stepped out. 

“Well,” she said to herself, “you certainly made an enemy there.” She shrugged and got down to the business of finding where the HazMat suits were located. There were samples to be collected.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The hot African sun beat down on Jane and Darcy in their HazMat suits as they entered the hut where six bodies lay. Loki, Thor, Steve, and Clint waited outside. Darcy, thankfully couldn’t smell the stench of death, but she wanted to cry at the loss of life in front of her. Jane must have felt the same because she reached out with her free, gloved hand and patted Darcy’s arm through the suit.

“We’ll figure this out,” Jane promised and Darcy nodded.

Jane placed the large metal case she brought with her on ground and squatted down to flip it open. Inside were all the tools necessary to collect samples. Both women picked out the ones they needed and set to work, doing their best to put aside their emotions to get the job done.

Quietly, the minutes ticked by as the girls moved from body to body, marking and filling vials. Darcy was sick to her stomach. She’d studied diseases, knew much, but to see the devastating results of one up close, especially on the dead woman who lay face down at her feet, was horrifying. Open wounds covered the skin surface and dried blood and pus was everywhere. And still there was something else wrong with the bodies, something she couldn’t put her finger on and so she resolved to speak with Jane about it when they were back at the campsite.

With a sigh, Darcy bent to roll the woman over and screamed, jumping up and stumbling back a few steps.

Instantly, Jane was at her side and shouts from the doorway came through, asking if everything was okay.

“We’re fine!” Jane called back. “Don’t come in, it isn’t safe if you’re not in a suit.”

Darcy and Jane looked down at what Darcy had uncovered. Beneath the woman, lay an infant no more than a couple months old, its frail tiny body littered with sores and a strange blue streak of dried fluid that seemed to come from its nose. It was obvious that the woman, the mother had died while still trying to care for her baby. 

The assistant’s eyes filled with tears and she let them fall.

“Oh, my god, Jane. Who could want to make such an innocent baby so ill? How could anyone want to make another suffer so much?”

Jane shook her head sadly. “I don’t know, Darci. All I know is we can’t change what happened, but we can sure as hell try to prevent it from happening again.”

Darcy sniffed back the rest of her tears. “Let’s get the rest of the samples and get out of here. This place is starting to give me the creeps.” 

Jane nodded and bent down to get a sample of the dried blue streak coming out of the baby’s nose. None of the other bodies had it and she wanted to know why.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

While Dr. Foster and her assistant where gathering what they needed inside the hut, Loki, Thor, Steve, and Clint were discussing security measures outside of it. Loki hated being in the open as they currently were and hated even more the fact that their campsite could be spotted from any direction. He said exactly that to the men with him.

“I could get up on one of these huts and get a better view,” Clint offered, but Loki waved him off. 

“You know as well as I that you’d be a sitting duck up there. No. There must be a better way to protect our interests.” Green eyes tracked the perimeter constantly, looking for anything that would give away a potential enemy.

“You know, it would help quite a bit if we knew exactly the danger you’re trying to warn us about.”

Steve was right, though Loki was loathed to admit it. They deserved to know what they were possibly up against. Loki just hated talking about it.

“Brother,” Thor began but Loki cut him off.

“I know, Thor. And I will divulge the needed information when we are back at camp. For now, keep your eyes peeled for anything even remotely off.”

Steve and Thor exchanged a look, and Clint motioned that he was going to check the other huts incase anything had been missed.

An awkward silence remained since Loki refused to entertain anymore conversation. He wished only that Dr. Foster and her appallingly bad-mannered assistant would hurry up. The nerve of the girl to stare at him as if he were being served up to her on a silver platter. Lust had been clear in those blue eyes of hers and he’d almost let himself respond to it. He’d caught himself in the nick of time.

Loki didn’t have time for foolish flirtations and sure as hell not with a little assistant who seemed to have Barnes already eating out of her hand. Still, it was a pity because at any other time he would have loved to feel her curvaceous body writhing beneath him.

He could just imagine the way she’d scream…

An ear-splitting shout rent the air and as one all four men, guns drawn, huddled by the doorway to hut. They’d been warned that the virus was clearly contagious in some way and so none wanted to enter unless necessary.

“Are you alright in there?” Steve shouted and all were relieved when Jane’s voice assured them all was well. “Move along, ladies, we really need to get out of here before the sun begins to set.”

Minutes later the women came out and Loki spied the dried tears on Darcy’s face. Curious he walked around the hut to where two small windows had been carved into the wall. Taking a chance, he leaned slightly forward and searched for the cause of her distress. He found it in the tiny infant that lay next to what Loki assumed was his mother. 

He sighed and felt disgusted at how far his enemy would go to get what he wanted. This was the shittiest part of his job; acknowledging that innocents often died as pawns in someone else’s game.


End file.
